(BLOOMINGTON) - Opposition is growing among Indiana University employees to a proposal to lease campus parking spaces in exchange for a multimillion-dollar payout.

A petition drive opposing any such transaction is now circulating publicly among IU employees who oppose the idea of leasing the university's Bloomington and Indianapolis parking operations to a private operator.

Communication Workers of America Local 4730 president Edward Vasquez tells The Herald-Times the union has gathered the signatures of hundreds of faculty and staff.

The IU trustees will hear Thursday from a committee that's drawing up the specifications it would like to see in any request for proposals on a parking lease.

IU proposed the idea earlier this year after Ohio State University leased its parking spaces to a private firm for $483 million.